


The last dance

by Krtek



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Bittersweet, Character Death, Domestic Fluff, Gen, M/M, Memories, Old Age, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-26
Updated: 2017-04-26
Packaged: 2018-10-24 08:27:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10737927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krtek/pseuds/Krtek
Summary: Yuuri and Victor lace up for their last dance on the ice.Bittersweet fic, filled with love.Because old people are cute.





	The last dance

**Author's Note:**

> This is so far away from the usual crap I write, and I wrote it in the heat of a moment after watching this video of an old figure skater ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm0cxAvStBI )  
> I apologize in advance.

Yuuri walked slowly along the Hasetsu beach.

He was carrying two bags full of groceries, returning from a shopping trip he used as an excuse to visit his sister at their old inn. His and Victor’s house was nearby, and Yuuri enjoyed seeing her every time. Even though she had mellowed a bit with age, she still kept the brisk bluntness in her, reminding him of the good old days. And she still gave the best advice, prompting Yuuri to seek out her help every time he felt anxious about something.

Just like now.

They were old. So old even Victor finally admitted it with a laugh. He was pushing 80, with Yuuri lagging four years behind. They were still married, and still very much in love. They became a part of each other, and Yuuri couldn’t imagine ever not having Victor by his side.

But lately, he had started imagining it more and more often.

Their busy life was far behind them now, both having retired from the public eye years ago. They wrote the history of male figure skating, became legends. They had boxes full of medals, a skating competition named after both of them, and were probably the reason for the famously friendly relationship between Russian and Japanese skaters, and their respective skating federations. They took trophies, broke records, held popular ice shows, hosted and commentated tournaments, attending them as special guests. Always side by side, the ever so famous inseparable figure skating couple. There wasn’t a day when they weren’t together, if not physically, then at least in each other’s thoughts.

But the day would come eventually, Yuuri thought, greeted back home by the sight of his husband napping in his favourite chair.

Lately, he had been napping a lot more than usual. Up until now, Victor had been a ball of energy, bouncing around with their poodle as much as his knees allowed him, randomly pulling Yuuri into a waltz almost every day, zooming around his beloved Hasetsu on his old bicycle, offering everyone his cordial greetings and heart shaped smiles, now accompanied with adorable wrinkles around his eyes. Those eyes were still clear as a spring sky over the ocean, always sparkling with mischief and love. Despite his age, he was forever young at heart.

But as Yuuri watched the slow steady rise of Victor’s chest as he was huddled up under his blanket, he knew. That one day, that chair would be empty.

As if Victor sensed his stare, he opened his eyes, blinking sleepily. Upon seeing Yuuri, his face lit up at once.

‘Yuuri!’ 

Hearing Victor call his name like that made Yuuri’s heart swell with warmth every time. He walked over to his husband, who was trying to climb out of the deep chair, and greeted him with a hug and a kiss on his cheek.

‘Were you out shopping?’ Victor finally managed to stand up. ‘I could have gone with you, we would have taken Hatchin on a walk. Such an old lady needs her exercise.’

‘I didn’t want to wake you up just for that,’ Yuuri said, gentleness permeating his voice.

He knew Victor was also aware of their age, more and more each day. And their days passed so fast now. Yuuri barely got anything done, and suddenly it was dark out. There weren’t many things for them to do now though. They went for walks with their old poodle along the beach, visited the Nishigoris, or spent time with Mari and her family at the inn. Her children now had children, which made the both of them great-great-uncles. Victor played with the kids for hours, and the sound of their joined laughter helped uphold the trademark lively atmosphere of the Yuutopia Katsuki inn. But more often, they just sat at their own porch overlooking the ocean, swaying on their rocking bench, leaning against each other. Napping, talking, joking, reminiscing, or just quietly enjoying each other’s presence.

He knew that, because two weeks ago, that very bench was a witness to Victor’s weak moment. They were sitting there together, watching the seagulls soaring in the sunset. Victor was quiet and pensive the whole day, staring wordlessly ahead. Yuuri noticed the grip on his hand was tighter than usual.

‘Victor… is something wrong?’ he asked softly.

Victor just swallowed, and said nothing.

‘Is your stomach hurting again?’ Yuuri pressed on. ‘Is something bothering you? Tell me, love.’

All of sudden, Victor’s eyes glistened over, and tears started rolling down his cheeks. Yuuri immediately panicked.

‘Victor!? What’s wrong? Are you in pain?’

Victor just squeezed him tighter, and a heartwrenching sob racked through his old body.

‘Talk to me, Victor, please.’ Yuuri now felt like crying himself. He tried to remember where he left his phone, in case he needed to call an ambulance. Victor might have gotten sick, and Yuuri wouldn’t even know. All because Victor was infuriatingly stubborn about doctors.

‘Vitya, why are you like this?’ He had nagged him just two weeks ago. ‘You’re long overdue for your check-up, let’s just go to the doctor’s office and be done with it.’ 

‘No,’ Victor had grumbled and turned away like a petulant child. ‘I’m still angry at her for forbidding me to eat katsudon.’

‘Like that ever stopped you. You eat it every time anyway. I honestly should just stop making it.’

‘But katsudon is everything!’

‘Your pancreas thinks otherwise,’ Yuuri had said sternly. ‘You’re really bad at trying to hide your stomachaches from me, you know that?’

‘That’s not fair, because you know me too well…’ Victor had sighed and laid his head on Yuuri’s shoulder. There was no way he could have stayed mad at him.

‘Victor…?’ Yuuri’s voice was trembling, the familiar feeling of anxiety creeping over him. Victor was upset, and he had no idea why. Holding him close was the only thing he could manage.

After a while, Victor seemed to calm down a little. He was quiet for a few moments, then spoke up in a small voice.

‘I don’t want to go.’

‘Go where?’ Yuuri was incredibly relieved to finally hear him say something.

‘I’m old, Yuuri… I don’t know how much time I have left. I’m scared.’

‘Scared of-‘

‘Death.’ The word hung in the air.

‘We’re all going to die at some point,’ Yuuri said, not knowing what better to offer him.

‘I know,’ Victor whispered, curling up closer. ‘I thought I knew, I thought I was ready. But I’m not.’

He raised his head and looked into Yuuri’s eyes, his own still swimming in tears, his usual look of a hurt puppy turned even more heartbreaking.

‘I’m afraid of losing you.’

‘Oh, Victor…’

‘I want to be with you for so much longer,’ Victor continued, his voice strained. He must have been despairing over his thoughts all day. ‘I can’t imagine being without you… I know it’s selfish, because I know I’ll be the first to go, and leave you alone… I don’t want to leave you alone.’

‘Vitya, no…’ Yuuri was at loss about how to respond. All these decades together, and he was still allowing himself to not know how to say the right thing.

‘I’m with you now. It’s all that matters,’ he said. ‘Anyone could die at any given point. We could have fallen and hurt ourselves on the ice anytime we skated, or crashed on one of the million flights we’ve been on, but we didn’t think about it, and just let ourselves live in that moment, together.’

Victor looked like he was mulling it over, but still didn’t seem happy.

‘Besides, how do you know I will outlive you? Do you know how much years of my life I’ve lost panicking over competitions?’ Yuuri said tried to lighten up the mood. ‘To be honest, I’m surprised I’m still kicking.’

‘You’ll probably live to be 120, like those old grandmas from Okinawa,’ Victor said, and finally smiled.

‘Who says you won’t?’ Yuuri put on the jovial tone they used when they teased one other. ‘You’re a living legend, who knows what magical powers you have.’

Victor chuckled. Their old poodle Hatchin got up from her spot, waddled over to them, and put a paw on his knee. Victor was finally smiling fully, shaking her paw and cooing at her, thanking her for comforting him. He then hoisted her up on the bench, and all three of them cuddled up together, in one big warm pile.

They sat in comfortable silence, the heaviness of the previous conversation having dissipated. Yuuri felt great relief, holding onto his husband. Victor still looked thoughtful, but when he spoke, the sadness was gone.

‘If I die, I want it to be here, and in your arms,’ he said quietly, but firmly.

‘ _If_ you die?’ Yuuri rubbed Victor’s shoulder playfully. ‘I’m glad you still accept the fifty percent chance you might be immortal.’

Victor started laughing, and just like that, all was almost well again.

Even though Yuuri tried to be the wise one back then, it did affect him. Victor soon forgot about the moment, either taking to heart what Yuuri had said, or at least burying his fear somewhere deep, and he was smiling and laughing all over the place again. But to Yuuri, their mornings and afternoon naps become a source of stress for a while. Every time he woke up first, he anxiously checked on a sleeping Victor, and the seconds that took him to register his breathing were excruciating. Yuuri’s heart pounded painfully in his chest until he saw Victor’s blanket rise. Back in their fifties, when Victor started snoring, Yuuri was definitely not happy about having to get used to it through the first few sleepless nights. But now, whenever he randomly woke up in the middle of the night and heard that sound, he was grateful, and let himself get lulled back to sleep by it. It took several months of this torture for him to stop doing it. Victor was breathing and snoring happily every time, and eventually Yuuri calmed down, and stopped making sure.

He began unpacking the groceries, Victor shuffling around him, trying to see what he bought. They cooked lunch together, joking around like usual, putting on their old skating music. Suddenly Victor sprung up.

‘I almost forgot!’ He took off to their bedroom, and returned with a thick photoalbum.

The sight of it immediately brought a huge smile on Yuuri’s face.

‘I haven’t seen this thing in years!’ he said, walking over to Victor, who was now bouncing excitedly on the couch, patting the spot next to him.

‘Me neither,’ he said, opening the old book. ‘I don’t even remember what I was looking for back there, but I’m so glad I found this!’

They looked at the old photos, delving into nostalgia. Victor looked absolutely delighted.

‘Yuuri!’ He exclaimed and pointed at a photo of them standing on a small podium at the Hasetsu rink. ‘This is our first photo together, after you won the Onsen on ice!’

‘Are you sure it’s our first photo together?’ Yuuri said teasingly, and turned the page, where he remembered was a shot of them on the fated banquet, dancing for the first time and smiling at each other. It was the only photo acceptable enough to let Victor stick into the photobook. Because he sure as hell would have pasted _all of them_ in there if he was allowed.

‘How could I forget!’ Victor laughed joyfully. ‘You were so cute back then. Of course you still are!’ He kissed Yuuri’s cheek. Even after all these years, it made Yuuri blush.

‘Remember this?’ He pointed at a photo of Victor posing with the triplets on ice.

‘I do,’ Victor said fondly. ‘This is from before the triplets got into competitive figure skating.’

‘Yeah, that was sure something to talk about.’ Yuuri nodded. ‘Three identical figure skaters coached by Victor Nikiforov himself, you can’t get more sensational than that.’

‘They had a good run,’ Victor said. ‘Short, but good.’

‘At least they saved their knees. I think one month after this you fell and gave yourself that leg injury, right?’

‘Ugh.’ Victor cringed. ‘That was the first time I realized I wasn’t as young as I thought. Thank god it happened during practice and not in front of an audience.’

‘Yes, embarrassing myself in front of the audience was my role in our marriage,’ Yuuri grinned.

‘Says the most decorated skater in Japanese history,’ Victor teased back.

It felt like reliving the old times again. They reminisced for hours, recalling stories and experiences, and they were plentiful. They lived a good life, filled with good people, and good memories. Yuuri wasn’t even capable of imagining what his life would have been like if he hadn’t met Victor. Just the thought of it brought uneasiness into his mind. He nuzzled up to his husband, relishing in the feeling of his hand petting his back. If he could, he would live a hundred more lifetimes with him.

‘I know what I was looking for in the bedroom,’ Victor suddenly said. ‘My old skates. I wanted to see them again for some reason.’

‘Did you find them?’

‘I did,’ Victor beamed. ‘And yours lay right on top of them.’

‘How fitting.’ Yuuri nudged him, making him giggle mischievously. ‘How long has it been since we last laced up?’

‘Way too long.’ Victor sighed, and Yuuri noted the wistfulness.

They skated professionally until high age, and recreationally even as old grandpas, but one day they set it aside when Victor’s knees started protesting a lot more often. Yuuri got so used to skating with him, he didn’t even think of doing it on his own again.

‘Let’s go skating, Victor.’

‘What?’ Victor laughed, but perked up attentively.

Yuuri just blurted it out on impulse, but suddenly, it seemed like the best idea in the world.

‘You found our skates for a reason,’ he said. ‘Maybe it’s a sign we should go skating again while we’re not in wheelchairs.’

‘Yes!’ Victor scrambled up from the couch eagerly. ‘Let me just get some things.’

Yuuri couldn’t believe what he just said. As soon as the heat of the moment was gone, he was flooded with worry. What if they fell? What if Victor injured himself, and Yuuri would be responsible for it? He wanted to call it off now. Really wanted. But then Victor ran out of their room, wearing a shirt and slacks, carrying Yuuri’s workout clothes, and his old training bag. Yuuri looked closer, and saw their ancient scraggly poodle tissue holder poking its head out. He couldn’t say no at that point.

They walked to the Ice Castle as fast as their old legs would carry them, grinning like children the entire way. Yuuri still had the key, despite not having used the rink for a long time. They even used to coach there, promoting Hasetsu into a figure skating hotspot. It was distant history by now, but the Ice Castle still held that prestige.

Upon entering the empty rink, they were hit with the familiar smell of ice. They both closed their eyes and breathed in. Ice was their life. And their love.

They started lacing up, and Yuuri saw Victor pause, just staring at his signature golden blades. They had a strong run, held out long. Victor ran his finger along the metal, almost in reverence. When he finally put the skates on, he took a shaky breath.

‘All done?’ Yuuri stood up first, and reached out to him. ‘Come on, coach. We have work to do.’

Victor let Yuuri help him up, and they took a step towards the edge of the ice hand in hand.

‘I know we’re doing this,’ Yuuri couldn’t help himself to voice his concerns. ‘But do you think it’s a good idea for two dinosaurs to skate alone? What if we both fall and break our hips?’

‘Then we shall die like we lived. On the ice,’ Victor said, determination written all over his face.

He stepped onto the ice first. It was a careful little step, unsure, and wobbly. But old instinct kicked in, and he found his balance without problems. Upon seeing he still had it, he kicked off, gliding towards the center. Yuuri took a breath, and followed him, just as carefully. He let himself slide towards him, and Victor caught him by the waist.

‘It feels amazing,’ Yuuri admitted, cheeks already flushed, as something familiar swelled up in his heart. Victor was looking at him adoringly, his beautiful eyes lit up and sparkling with life. Yuuri kissed him softly.

They started warming up, making laps around the rink, then upgrading to little spins, and eventually, daring to try single jumps. Some were wobbly and clumsy here and there, but to their joy they landed every single one, even though they had to rest a lot in between. When they got too breathy, they just let themselves glide around, holding hands. They tried pair figures too, simple ones, supporting each other. Victor laughed and laughed, and Yuuri laughed with him.

‘Remember how we trained for our first pair skate?’ Victor said with a twinkle in his eye.

‘Oh I do,’ Yuuri nodded. ‘And my butt still remembers too. You dropped me so many times.’

‘No way, I didn’t!’ Victor exclaimed. ‘And _if_ I did, I recall you always made sure to land on top of me.’

‘You liked that,’ Yuuri teased.

They had to take a breather again, spinning slowly together in a waltz hold, when Victor suddenly gasped.

‘Yuuri! I forgot I brought music!’

He set off towards their bag they left on the rinkside, and Yuuri followed him curiously. While they were there, they took the opportunity to blow their noses with the tissues from their puppy holder, and Yuuri felt a pleasant flash of familiarity even in that simple action. He was really getting sappy with age.

Victor fished out an old CD from the bag. Yuuri recognized it instantly. They had many CDs with all the tunes they had ever skated to, but this was their very first one. It had only a handful of songs. Both versions of Stammi Vicino, Agape, Eros, and Yuri on ice. Yuuri remembered them all.

‘I haven’t heard these for ages,’ Yuuri breathed out. Music was always special to him, something he could use to bare his soul. Just the faint memory of these pieces moved him. The gentle duet rendition of Stammi Vicino meant especially much to them both. They skated to it countless times, the particular routine becoming their signature one, requested incessantly, until they both retired for good. It played at their wedding as they exchanged their rings. Victor still hummed it at times. This CD remained their favourite to listen to, until it got lost and buried somewhere in their storage.

Victor smiled, and inserted the disk.

Regular Stammi Vicino started playing, the velvety tenor voice echoing around the rink. Victor was already back on the ice, raising his arm gracefully. The first moves were just like Yuuri remembered. He recalled the time when he had skated this routine, the one that brought them together, for the first time. He had been skating for Yuuko, but thinking of Victor, even then. It was Victor and his routine that brought him out from his worst bout of depression. If it hadn’t existed, Yuuri would have had retired right after his infamous first Grand Prix. He pushed that memory away, replacing it with the one, when he and Victor were alone at this very rink, and Victor skated the routine just for him. At that point, they already knew they would be together for life.

It was not perfect. Victor only marked his jumps, or did a single, and his once tall and lean figure had shrunk a bit with age. But he was still beautiful.

He couldn’t finish it of course. As soon as Yuuri noticed droplets of sweat appear on his forehead, he skated over to him, and stopped him with a hug. Victor gratefully buried his head into Yuuri’s shoulder, breathing hard.

‘It’s not what it used to be…’ he said.

‘It is to me.’ Yuuri said resolutely. ‘Because I’m finally watching my favourite figure skater perform again.’

Agape came on, and they both used it to rest. They sat on a bench, recalling the time when they had Yurio here, struggling with the routine, and Yuuri still looking for his Eros. As the respective tune replaced Agape, Victor took the opportunity to bring up more memories.

‘It was you skating Eros during Onsen on ice when I really realized how much I wanted you,’ he admitted, squeezing Yuuri around his waist. ‘You were so beautiful and alluring, a work of art that I wanted to touch. I couldn’t stop looking at you.’

‘Just like I wanted you to,’ Yuuri said, hugging back.

Their breathing was back to normal at that point. As Eros was nearing its end, Victor stood up, and held out his hand.

‘I believe our dance is starting.’ He offered his familiar wink.

Yuuri followed him on the ice, and their version of Stammi Vicino started playing gently.

They danced together the best they could. They got tired a lot faster than half an hour ago, but they didn’t stop. No lifts, no jumps. But Yuuri felt at home. He was where he belonged, with whom he belonged. He felt like crying, out of happiness, nostalgia, his emotions were in turmoil, and he felt them all.

They had to stop just before the melody peaked. They held hands firmly, and pressed their foreheads together, standing still as the two lovers sang about their entwined hearts, promising each other to stay together.

The CD skipped, and the final song didn’t come on.

Victor laughed wearily, still panting.

‘I guess it’s our cue to stop for today,’ he said.

They packed up, locking up the rink, and slowly walked towards their home.

‘We have to do it again, Yuuri.’ Victor was beaming.

‘Of course we will.’ Yuuri agreed enthusiastically, his husband’s infectious happiness having rubbed off on him. ‘We can go tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow too, every day from now on. I can’t believe we stopped for so long. Didn’t we do great today?’

‘We did!’

It took them longer to make the way home, than it took them to come to the rink. They were in no rush, walking steadily, humming in unison. At home, they sat on their bench right after they changed. They needed the rest, and the sun would soon start nearing the horizon. They didn’t want to miss the sunset.

They napped on their bench, basking in the warm autumn sunlight, then talked some more, cuddled up together.

‘This is the best day ever,’ Victor admitted.

‘Just like every day with you.’

‘Yuuri! You’re still the master of seduction.’

Yuuri relished in the sound of Victor’s laugh. They sat together for hours, exchanging sweet nothings in between naps.

As the sun started to set, Yuuri got up carefully, trying not to wake Victor, and put on their CD again, missing the music already. When he returned, Victor was up and smiling. They enjoyed the music, rocking lightly on their bench.

When the soft dulcet notes of the Stammi Vicino duet filled the room behind them, it made them tighten their hug. Victor hummed along for a while. His body was relaxed, leaning against Yuuri as he held on to him, stroking his hand.

‘I love you,’ he whispered, giving his husband a gentle little heart shaped smile. ‘My Yuuri.’

‘I love you too, Victor,’ Yuuri said, feeling at peace, and sleepy again.

The song culminated, and softly ended, and suddenly, Yuuri realized. Victor’s hand was not squeezing his anymore. He was resting on Yuuri, arms still loosely circled around him, a ghost of a peaceful smile still on his lips.

And Yuuri knew Victor did not just fall asleep.

He thought he wouldn’t cry. He had cried enough imagining this moment when he was alone and Victor couldn’t see him. He promised himself he wouldn’t cry.

But then Yuri on ice came on.

The first trilling tones of the piano cut right through his soul like a blade, and suddenly, he was 23 again, standing on the ice, surrounded by deafening cheers, his future husband running towards him for their first kiss. Memories came flooding into Yuuri’s mind all at once like a torrent, overwhelming him. He saw Victor standing up in the onsen, offering him a hand, saying his first ‘Yuuri!’. He was back at the airport, clinging to Victor, as he fully realized how much he loved him. He felt Victor’s hand on his cheek as they were performing Stammi Vicino together for the first time. He saw Victor looking at him tenderly after they made love for the first time. Suddenly he was at their wedding again, laughing and crying at the same time, dancing with Victor until they both got dizzy, all their friends cheering for them both. He saw all the smiles Victor had ever given to him, wanting to lock them deep in his memory so he would never forget them. A flash of Victor’s golden ring gleaming in the soft light hit his eye, and suddenly, uncontrollably, Yuuri was crying into the setting sun, sobbing loudly and messily, his chest burning in pain as he slowly became aware of the empty hole left in his soul. His heart was tearing itself apart, and he felt so incredibly alone, as he realized he just lost the other half of their whole, and the love of his life.

He felt like he cried for hours. Soon the stars began glinting on the night sky, the warm Hasetsu sun long gone. Yuuri looked up at them as his tears slowly dried, still petting Victor’s soft hair, desperately holding onto their last embrace.

‘Thank you, Victor,’ he whispered into the silence.

‘Thank you, for coming into my life.’

‘Thank you, for giving me so much love.’

‘I still want to give you back so much more…’

‘So wait for me.’

‘I will come to you.’

‘I will stay by your side, and never leave.’

**Author's Note:**

> I made sure his last word was Yuuri's name.  
> Sorry.


End file.
